WE ALL NEED GOD'S LOVE

God's Love Is What We Need

Love is where peace is found. Love is the greatest equalizer. Love demonstrates peace when it is lived in its purest state. Love's peace is something anyone can experience.

Love is tested and tried. Love does the right thing in the right way. Christ is our best example of this. Christ shares His love with us. His helps us love others with pure, tender love. Rigid religion is not what Christ offers His children. He is gentle and kind.

God's love embraces all people. God's love is life-giving. His love touches people from every walk of life. Those who fully respond to God's love are dramatically changed. Love enters one's soul as the Spirit of God reveals godly truth. The more you seek God, the more your spirit enlivens.

God's love shows. A true believer will demonstrate God's love to others. It is seen in their acts of mercy, love, kindness, justice, honesty, and fairness. The heart is changed. It springs to life. It opens up to the sunshine of godly love.

A loving heart acts in love. Loving well is seen in this biblical admonition: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Love desires right relationship and gives from out of its self. 

Love is kind, good, and caring. Here is one place where Jesus taught this concept:

 An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10)

We are God's children. Father God cares for His children. We, in turn, love Him back.

As Joseph Girzone says it, "[God] created us to become His children. He placed us in the midst of a magnificent creation and asks only that we love Him and love and respect other human creatures, and treat all His creatures with respect and gratitude.” 

God's love is supernatural. It is beyond our human ability to manufacture godly love. God is the giver of supernatural, godly love. Christians should be known by their love. God gives them His love. When Christians are not loving and known by their love, there's something not quite right in their spirituality. Those who give God their life experience God transforming them in almost every aspect of their being. 

But we do struggle at times. That is why we call our Christian life a spiritual journey. Every step we take is an opportunity to get closer to God. It is also a process of yielding our stuff to Him. We stumble when we come to areas that trip us up or set us back. This is a frequent occurrence. Instead of pretending everything is okay, this is when we learn to trust in God to carry us through, which He does when we step out of the way and yield our will to His will.

Today is the day. Let God transform the inner you. Let Christ's love enter and make you anew. Embrace God's love with your whole heart. God will forgive, change, and heal you. You are precious to God. I know, it's not that easy, but it's worth it.

Give every circumstance to God. I suggest you pray over every decision you make. I suggest you quit trying so hard and let God do the leading and providing. You show up and move forward. There's relief in this. I'm still learning how to do this. God's love carries me through.

I see God everywhere.

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Photo by Johua Hoehne , Unsplash

 

CHERRY PICKING

REFLECTIVE THOUGHTS

PAUSE & CONSIDER

BOOKS FOR PRISON
For several months I've wished to donate some of my books to the prison population, particularly those in solitary. The content is inspirational, spiritual in harmony with nature. What the research turns up shows religious gifts are discouraged. I need a lead. Can anyone help me?

MADE ANEW
God transforms a hard heart into a tender one once His love is received.

CHRISTIANITY
Christianity seems to be all over the map these days. Its beliefs, purpose, practices, doctrine, theology, the spiritual-social connection, and it's biblical interpretations are varied. Some common ground is needed as a uniter. What common ground? Christ with His message of life.

TRUTH TALKERS
I think it's important to be a truth talker. There's lots of pressure to say what society wants you to say ... at all times. That's not freedom, it's control. I've noticed the insincerity of it all. It's hard to be a truth talker when you know you'l  get stomped on. Still do it.

HEALING PLACES
How beautiful it is when the church lives its mission with compassion, grace, hope, love and acceptance. Christ lived it, modeled it, offered it. His arms are open for all.

CHARACTER
Interesting how this works. At 90 my dad's character still comes through. Today one of his new friends where he now lives had this to say, "I like your dad. He has a clean mind. He wouldn't hurt anyone." She's noticed his graciousness. My dad loves the Lord. His life speaks to it.

WHEN IT'S HARD
God is good. God is faithful. God is just. Somehow the knowing of these truths is freeing to me. I know I can trust Him no matter what, no matter how hard it is, no matter how contradictory it may seem from my perspective. Like others, I stress, get confused, despair. Nevertheless, through it all I know God knows what I do not. I can rest in that knowledge.

Be Bold, Be Strong

BE BOLD, BE STRONG

I WROTE an important article about abortion today on my nlbrumbaugh.com blog. I am rarely so bold. Joshua 1:9 encouraged me. God doesn't want me to be afraid. The song, Be Bold, Be Strong kept playing in my mind the way something speaks life to you.

JOSHUA 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” KJV

BE BOLD, be strong, the Lord your God is with you. Be not afraid. This is on my mind. Writing about abortion is the boldest thing I have ever done in the public arena. In the private context I've had many a bold moment out of necessity.

Like going to court in a child custody battle.
Like going through a marriage dissolution with lawyers at the table.
Like speaking my story in church.
Like addressing issues with my offspring when it is uncomfortable.
Like posting my private conversations with Emily on my nlb blog.
Like posting my personal testimony online.

But this is different.
But I'm not bold here for the most part
But not bold about the controversial topics of the day.
But I've been a wimp about speaking about what concerns me the most.

I think there are reasons for this.
I am afraid of what will happen.
I doubt my abilities, smarts, wherewithal to handle the backlash.
I don't want to be hated by the haters.
I like to be liked.

Can you relate?

BUT GOD  has called me to be truthful. He is the one who carries me through.
. . .
The link to the post on abortion is here should you wish to read it. I hope it stimulates your thinking and encourages right thinking. I am rarely so bold. Again, here is the blog link: Denial of the Truth About Abortion.

Remember this song?

BE BOLD, BE STRONG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S7ZIls9YDU&feature=youtu.be

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For more, visit my author site at nlbrumbaugh.com.
Have a blessed day.

Come to Me, God says: Intervention no. 14

 A Soul-Changing Intervention

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 

God calls to us, but it is up to us to come. Coming to Him is the best thing we will ever do.

LET’S BEGIN—

COME: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden.  

This is a direct request in response to our human need.

GOD ASKS US TO COME. The first thing to note in this scripture is that Come unto me denotes a requiring of action from us. Action is common to change if we truly want help. It takes effort on our part, from our self, to begin a seeking of Him. Personal initiative is the beginning, the crucial first step.

God wants this from every one of us. This is well documented in story after story in the biblical narrative of Jesus as he helped people. He would ask the person to take a step of faith before He responded to their need. The Old Testament also has stories where God required an act of faith by the person before the response of God would take place.

God is the object. Come unto Me, which is God. This is key, to find God in it all, in every circumstance of life. Come to Him even in the hurts and disappointments.

The question is, how do we come?

The coming is dependent on openness, surrender, and willingness to say what we mean and mean what we say in total and complete awareness and honesty. We come with no pretending or hiding behind superficial, spiritual, do-gooder masks. It is like looking in a mirror without your face make-up on or clothing on for that matter.

We are naked before Jesus as we remove our self-protected ways of doing things, to become ready and willing to receive the real truth as it is revealed to us. Do we dictate to God? How much do we let self, even hurt, dictate its agenda? Come requires trust—not reasons, explanations, excuses, justifications or self-vindication.

It says, here I am. I’m ready. Okay, God, let’s get to work. Show me my hurt, my selfishness, my past.

Dear Father in Heaven, we all need You, desperately need You. I pray that we will quit being stubborn to be willing and open to Your spirit. Amen

*More tomorrow

To God be the Glory

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A Message of Life

Inspiration 52 

Secular v Christian Worldviews -- Inspiration 35

Discover Your World View

Finding God in the Daily

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 23:7. KJV

 Your worldview matters. For the Christian it is helpful to know if you have a secular or spiritual worldview. This will impact your decisions going forward. Is God an ongoing conversation in your life?

AN ADULT'S WORLDVIEW encompasses what he or she believes about life; their philosophy of life and conception of the world. It is not possible to have two worldviews competing and tangling. This would project in two different realms and function on separate planes. There is some confusion going on. Religious people can be secular oriented and perform spiritually. Is this a competing worldview? Quite possibly. To figure it out whether a world view is secular or spiritual takes a bird's-eye view. Follow a person's habits, desires, and conversations and it soon becomes apparent. A spiritual worldview is where the things of God flow as a natural process throughout the person's life. On the other hand, some Christians compartmentalize their spiritual activities as an add-on to their normal routines. They are more of a secular view with spiritual overtures. It helps to be mindful of this. Where God is active in a person's life will show. When God 's presence is not all that meaningful then the spiritual gives way to the secular. A worldview where Christ comes first is defined by Him being given preeminence. A spiritual worldview will look for God in everything, which includes God in the daily. In this case, daily functionality is mixed with a Jesus dynamic and a living spiritual dimension.

Dear Father God, our world needs You and Your loving touch. May we awaken to the meaning You impart to in our own lives. Amen

To God be the Glory

Who, God? -- Inspiration 14

Is God Real?

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

IS GOD REAL? Lots has been written about the subject of God. This subject is of major importance and is the cause of debate and dissonance in society. It seems people are not in agreement and can be quite oppositional when talking about it. Defend a position: God exists. God doesn't exist. Theism exists with a real but remote Deity. Or there's a broad belief in God that is believed, which speaks of theology, attributes, doctrine, will, redemption, righteous living and all things spiritual. Another belief is that of Intelligent Design as a way Godward aspects are proved. Those who believe in salvation as it is derived from biblical text, set forth to explain who God is and then His relationship to the created world and to humankind in particular. No matter anyone's opinion in the long run. The truth is that God either is or isn't. But it is of consequence. One's belief about God's existence and humans' relationship to Him is exceedingly important. For if God is real then to reject Him has lasting implications. According to the scriptures there is an afterlife and this life is not all there is, and it also gives purpose, meaning, and morality to earthly existence. Divine intervention on the humans behalf is a tremendously important conceptual reality for those who know its truth through the eyes of faith. Do you want to find out if God is real? Are you up for a challenge? You can do this. Begin to seek God in earnest. Ask Him to become real to you. God will reveal who He is. God says that those who seek will find. Keep a Bible handy.

Dear Father in Heaven, Your ways are divine and include Your created world. This is a great blessedness. Reveal Yourself to those who seek you. Thank you. Amen

To God be the Glory

Heart Belief -- Inspiration 11

Belief Takes Many Shapes

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:9-10. NIV

YOU believe a chair will support your weight when you sit in it. You believe this because it is a known fact. The chair is sturdy and in good repair. It gets the job done. In that case, belief is based on what is known, tested, tried. Besides the known facts, much of belief is based on what a person has been taught, their familial beliefs, cultural beliefs, national beliefs and even spiritual beliefs. Many beliefs go through changes as more is discovered about the 'why' in life. In the spiritual, God draws the individual to Himself.  His Word draws them. His teachings illumine them. His Spirit strives with them. God persists but doesn't force. Belief based in the knowledge of God and His ways may contribute to their understanding of spiritual truth. But a leap of faith is taken as the person knows in their heart that this is true, that God is real, that God is interested in their soul and being. Genuine heart belief is a 'knowing,' through and through. Like C.S. Lewis said, he knew it was true (not fanciful imaginations). The first step is to by faith believe there is a God. Second is to believe God loves in a personal way. Third, is to by faith believe and trust God. Heart belief is genuine.  

Dear Father God, I believe in You. You are real. We sense Your divine presence here with us. How pleased we are that You are with us throughout every day. Praises! Amen

To God be the Glory

Divine Love -- Inspiration 6

The Immeasurable Love of God

 Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert. --Isaiah 43:19

MANY are the songs written to describe Divine love: The Love of God; Oh, The Deep Deep Love of Jesus; Jesus Loves Me; Love Lifted Me; Love Divine. God’s love is greater than can be told, deeper than can be explained, richer than is comprehensible. His love went to unlimited lengths to redeem a lost people. Father God's plan of salvation came through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. Redemption for humankind required the sinless sacrifice of God’s one and only Son. Through this, Christ offered life to an utterly broken world of sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. Jesus Christ loved them then and He loves them now. Humans cannot outspend the love of God. God’s love enfolds the downcast, implores the one in despair, gives forth to those in need, and regenerates life within a believer's soul. They welcome God's love and hold it close to their hearts. Like them, anyone who believes in their heart by faith in the gospel of Christ receives this Divine love. Happiness then unfurls in energetic liveliness seen in gracious smiles, warm hugs, and loving kindnesses. Joy, joy, joy. God’s love is like joy on steroids. Supernatural enlivening causes souls to be quickened. A welcoming posture makes all the difference. Closed arms block. Open arms receive. Embrace all God offers and showers upon you. Therein you will find streams in the desert. Be blessed by the heavenly Father's immeasurable gift of love.

Father God, may we know the love Your love in abundant measure. May we trust Your peace and joy as enough for each day. You are immeasurable blessedness. Amen

To God be the Glory